I Am like a Curse
by DarkPoisonousLove
Summary: "Why do you do this? Why do you believe in me?" I asked. "Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that I love you, Regina, and nothing can change that." Swan Queen. Canon divergence after 2x10 "The Cricket Game"
1. Chapter 1

I Am like a Curse

Chapter 1

Regina's PoV

I was lying in my bed in my prison cell. What an irony! I got away with murdering so many people but when I am innocent I end up in jail! This time I told the truth but no one believed me. Henry came to me and asked me to give in. My heart broke when I saw how disappointed he was. It didn't matter that I wasn't guilty if he believed otherwise. I let Emma lock me up, hoping that my son will believe in me just like he believed in Emma when she herself didn't. And he believed.

* * *

 _"Maybe she really isn't guilty," Henry turned to the sheriff._

 _"I want to believe that too, kid, but I saw her doing it," Emma looked at me. At first, I thought it was accusation that I saw in her eyes but then I realized it was regret. She didn't want this either. It was as if she begged me to give her some lead to work on. My brain seemed to have stopped functioning though. Probably because of the fact that somebody actually believed in me._

 _"I know," Henry said, surprising us both. "The shapeshifting spell. Mr. Gold must have used it to frame you. He is the only one except you who can do magic."_

 _"But why?"_

 _"Well, mom kept Belle locked up for twenty-eight years."_

 _"You think he turned into Regina and killed Archie out of vengeance?" Emma sounded skeptical._

 _"He manipulated me for years so that I would cast the Dark Curse," I snapped._

 _"Hey, don't shout at_ _me! I am trying to help you."_

 _"It looks more like you are trying to infuriate me," I muttered._

 _"So it is possible that he really framed you?" Emma asked again._

 _I looked at her fiercely._

 _"Okay, I will start working on that," she raised her hands in defense._

 _"Really?" I asked. It sounded more desperate than I wanted to admit._

 _"Really, mom?" Henry asked too._

 _"Yes," Emma said and ruffled his hair as she smiled at him. "However," she turned to me, "you have to stay here until I have proof that you're innocent."_

 _"You are giving me the benefit of the doubt, aren't you?" I asked sarcastically._

 _"Hey, you can't judge me! I believed in you until I saw you doing it. And even now I am trying to help you. Besides, it will be safer if you stay here."_

 _"Yeah, just in case I turn out to be the murderer."_

 _"No, I meant safer for you. Remember what happened when the Curse broke? The citizens wanted to kill you. Who knows what they'll do if I let you out now when everyone thinks you killed Archie. Not to mention that Gold may hurt anyone else or the people may lose their faith in me and there will be no one to protect you."_

 _"I see you have reasons to keep me in here," I said harsher than I had intended._

 _"Regina-" the sheriff started but I cut her off._

 _"I understand. Just do your job and find out what exactly happened, Miss Swan."_

 _"I will work non-stop on that, Madam Mayor," Emma stated coldly but I saw that the corner of her mouth twitched._

 _She hugged Henry around the shoulders and they walked out of the station._

* * *

That was two days ago and I haven't seen neither Henry nor Emma since then. David came by a few times to bring me food and look murderously at me. It seemed that he and Emma had a lot of work.

I was starting to lose my mind. The more I thought about this situation, the more frustrated I became. Gold used me to cast the Dark Curse and then framed me. I slammed my fist against the wall.

"It's not so pleasant when you are on the other side of the bars, is it?" Mary Margaret's voice startled me and I jumped from the bed. I didn't expect to see her here.

"What are you doing here?" I asked without even trying to hide the surprise in my voice.

"Do you know where Emma is?" She inquired instead of answering my question.

"How am I supposed to know?" I was bewildered. What the hell was going on? I panicked. What if something had happened to Emma while she had been searching for clues against Gold? What if she was hurt? "What happened to Emma? Is she alright?" I tried to hide my panic but didn't exactly succeed.

"As if you care for her!" Mary Margaret spat out.

"Of course I do!" I objected a little more fiercely than needed. "I mean… Henry loves her… and she is the only one that believed me," I stuttered when she looked at me oddly.

"If you cared for her, you wouldn't have sent her after Gold. You wouldn't have put her in danger," she hissed.

"Tell me what happened to Emma!" I insisted. My initial fear was replaced by anger.

"Do you really think you have the right to demand that?" Mary Margaret snapped at me, fury burning in her eyes. I have never seen her like that. "Luckily, nothing has happened to my daughter."

I sighed in relief.

"However, that is not thanks to you," she continued. "You sent her after Gold. You endangered her life. But then again that's exactly what you want, isn't it? To get rid of Emma"

"What? No. Why would I do that? She's helping me. She believed in me."

"I don't understand what's going on with her. You say you've tried to help us and she buys it without even thinking twice. You say you're innocent and she believes you." Mary Margaret's rant perplexed me. "At first I thought you had put some kind of spell on her but no magic is that powerful. She is constantly talking about you. It seemed impossible but I am starting to believe that she is in love with you," she screamed in my face.

I just stared at her in pure shock. Did she really say that? Or was it just my imagination?

"After all the efforts I made to keep her away from you…" Mary Margaret trailed off as she finally realized what she was saying.

"What?" I asked, suspicion sneaking in my voice.

"Nothing," she squeaked nervously.

"What have you done?" I growled.

"I… told her to stay away from you… because you're the Evil Queen"

"No, it's not that." I could feel she was lying. I was starting to sound like Emma. Anyway, I could sense that there was something else. "What have you done?" I asked again, my eyes were boring into her.

Mary Margaret couldn't resist my stare and looked aside. And then it hit me.

"No, you did not!" I whispered with such ferocity that she flinched involuntarily. "It was you! You framed me!" I grabbed the bars. My grip was so strong that my knuckles turned white.

"Come on, Regina! You can't be that desperate. How can I frame you? I don't have magic."

"You must have worked with Gold."

"Regina, I am trying to reason with you without being rude but it seems impossible," she started with that attitude that just made me want to set her on fire. "In case you have forgotten, you are the one who kills people not I." She turned her back to me and headed to the door.

"Just think about how disappointed your mother would be if she could see you now" I said knowing all too well how much this would hurt her.

"Don't you dare speak of my mother!" Mary Margaret turned around and hissed at me. "I don't know how my father decided that a monster like you could replace her"

"I wasn't a monster before I met you," I snapped. "I lost everything because of you! If you had just kept your mouth shut, I would have run away with Daniel and you would have never heard of me again." My eyes welled up with tears. "And now you're trying to take my son from me too."

"Henry is Emma's son," she stated coldly. "And I am doing him a favor. He will be much better without you."

I couldn't believe my ears. How could she say that? She knew what it was like not to have a mother and she knew what it was like to lose a child. "Really? Do you think it was better for Emma to grow up without you?"

"It was your fault that she had to grow up as an orphan," Mary Margaret accused me. "I would have been a good mother if I had had the chance because I am not like you. I am not a monster."

It was always like that. I was the Evil Queen and she was Snow White. She would pretend that she wanted to help me and then she would blame me for ruining her life. But not this time.

"You could have kept Emma. You decided to put her in that wardrobe," I stated angrily.

"You would have killed her," she objected.

"I didn't have enough time to search the whole castle. You could have hidden her and you could have kept her. It was your choice to give her up."

"I wanted to save her from your curse."

"You wanted to make sure that you would defeat me. You chose victory over your child." Mary Margaret took a step back as if I had slapped her. "That and the fact that you want to take Henry – my happiness – from me makes you a lot like me."

"I will never be like you. Do you know why?" I raised my brow. "Because I am a hero to differ from you." She turned her back to me and headed towards the door.

"Keep telling yourself that, snowflake!" My voice was dripping with disdain. "You might actually believe yourself in the end." She stopped dead in her tracks. I thought she would say something but she didn't. She left without so much as another word.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter. The text in italics is a flashback like in the first chapter. The chapter is from Regina's point of view and the flasback is from third person's point of view but there was no other way to write it. I hope you'll like it. Reviews are very appreciated.**

Regina's PoV

Emma stormed into the station a few hours after my conversation with Mary Margaret.

"What have you done to my mother?" She shouted at me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in confusion. Have I killed Mary Margaret without remembering it? That would be such a shame! "As much as I wanted, I haven't done anything to her."

"You're lying." Emma said but I could see she had calmed a little.

"Why don't you use that gift of yours, Miss Swan? You'll see I'm telling the truth."

"I… I am not sure it works properly on you," she said timidly. That was odd. Unless Mary Margaret's theory was right and Emma was in love with me. That would explain her behavior.

"And why is that so, Miss Swan?" I purred in my most seductive voice only to see her reaction. She fidgeted nervously which wasn't typical for her. I have challenged her so many times and given her so many of my Evil Queen stares and she had never backed off. But now at this simple question she acted as an unsure teenager. I was beginning to think that she really had feelings for me.

"If you hadn't done anything to her, then why did she look like that?" The sheriff changed the subject.

"What do you mean?"

* * *

 _The door of Mary Margaret apartment opened just to reveal its very strange looking owner. The princess hair was disheveled, her clothes looked like they had been set on fire and she had scratches all over her face and hands._

" _What happened to you?" David asked with concern. He had been worried sick for his wife who had disappeared hours ago._

" _I was at the Sheriff station…" she started but David immediately cut her off._

" _What were you doing there?"_

" _I went to see Regina. I wanted to tell her to leave Emma alone. That didn't go well as you can see," she explained._

" _Did Regina do this to you?" The anger was easily recognizable in David's voice._

" _Yes. I barely managed to escape."_

 _At that moment the front door opened again and Emma entered._

" _Hey, guys, what's goin…" the words died in her throat when she landed her sight on her mother. "What the hell happened to you?"_

" _The Evil Queen happened," David answered. "The woman you are so desperately trying to get out of jail."_

" _Did Regina do that?" Emma asked with disbelief, ignoring her father's words._

" _Yes." Mary Margaret nodded to emphasize her words._

" _This makes no sense. Why would she attack you?"_

" _Emma, what are you saying? That your mother is lying?" David's voice raised a little._

" _No," Emma said even though she wasn't convinced that Mary Margaret was telling the truth. "I am just wondering why would Regina do that?"_

" _That woman is the Evil Queen. She doesn't need reason. She hates my guts," her mother intervened._

" _Will you stop calling her that?" The blonde yelled at both her parents. "She's not like that anymore."_

" _Are you taking her side?" The accusation in David's tone was obvious._

" _I am not taking any sides. I am just stating a fact. She's changed. She saved our lives," Emma turned to Mary Margaret._

" _Emma, she killed Archie a few days ago," she replied._

" _She says that she didn't."_

" _And you believe her?"_

" _Henry does. And if he does, so do I."_

" _She's guilty, Emma. You saw her doing it just like we did," David said._

" _Yes, and in my world this would have been enough." They both looked at her confused. "This is a world of magic. Just because I saw something doesn't mean that it really happened," she explained._

" _So you choose Regina over the whole town?" Mary Margaret asked. She sounded somehow hurt._

" _No. I choose justice. What if it wasn't Regina? Ever since you remembered who you are you keep saying that we should do the right thing no matter how hard it is. That's what I am doing. I am trying to find out the truth. It won't be right to keep Regina in jail if she is innocent."_

" _Emma, she's the…" Mary Margaret stopped when her daughter glared at her sternly. "She has killed hundreds of people. She is not innocent."_

" _That's her past. She is not that person anymore," the Savior tried to reason with her parents though it seemed hopeless. She couldn't understand why they were acting like that. Especially her mother. She had tried to help Regina so many times in the past according to Henry's book. She had even saved the queen's life._

" _She attacked your mother," David snapped at her._

" _Fine!" She snapped back. "I will talk to her." She slammed the door as she exited the apartment. She was angry and confused. She could sense that her mother was lying about the attack. However, her father wasn't. How was that possible?_

* * *

"I haven't attacked your mother though I wish I had," I said after Emma told me the story. "Which means that she lied to your father. That's why you felt that he was telling the truth. He thought that I had actually assaulted her."

"Why would my mother lie, Regina?"

"To keep you and Henry away from me. She is pissed because you believe me and you are trying to help me."

"I know she isn't happy about it but pretending that you had attacked her… That's just not her style," the sheriff objected.

"Since when do you know her so well?" I bit my tongue in the second the words came out of my mouth but it was too late. I had already said them.

"Right. Because someone's curse took my family away from me," Emma countered calmly as if that were an argument we were having on a daily basis.

"You're not hurt or angry?" I asked with surprise.

"If it weren't for your curse, we wouldn't have Henry right now and he is more important than everything else."

I nodded in agreement but I still felt like I needed to apologize. "I am sorry," I whispered and the words sounded so wrong. How are you supposed to apologize for something unforgivable? "I really am," I repeated because I wanted her to believe me even when I didn't believe myself.

"I know," Emma's reply came as a whisper too. "You've changed. I just wish the others would see it."

"Me too."

"What am I going to do with my parents? They might try to ground me to keep me away from you," the sheriff joked although we both knew that they could actually attempt to do that. Her joke reminded me of my conversation with her mother.

"There is something I should probably tell you," I started hesitantly.

"Okay," Emma slid her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Shoot."

"When Mary Margaret was here she said that you still believed me after all the efforts she had made to keep you away from me."

"What efforts?"

"She didn't say but I think…" I trailed off. What was I doing? I couldn't tell her about my suspicions. I would lose her support.

"What, Regina? Spit it out!" The sheriff was starting to lose patience.

"I think she has something to do with Archie's death."

Emma just stood there and looked at me. I had expected her to walk out of the station and never talk to me again but that didn't happen.

"That's not possible," she finally spoke. "Archie was her friend." I got the part with the disbelief though.

"I know but…"

"My mother is not a murderer," Emma interrupted me.

"I am not saying that she did it but maybe she worked with Gold."

"My mother is not the one who is scheming," the sheriff objected again.

"Yes, that's me," I said and the pain in my voice surprised us both.

"That's not what I meant."

"Really?" I asked harshly. My walls were coming up again.

"Okay, maybe I would say that but try to understand me. This whole situation is so complicated. Ever since I came to Storybrooke my life became extremely complicated. Henry's stories turned out to be true and I found out that my parents were actually Snow White and Prince Charming and my son's adoptive mother was a queen." I was surprised that she didn't say 'the Evil Queen'. "Then I fell through a portal straight in the Enchanted Forest, and now this mess with Archie's murder. I feel like I can't trust anyone. Especially now since my own mother lied to me. I thought that my life would change when I was finally with my family but it is just as it was before. Everyone is constantly lying to me," Emma said in despair.

"If you knew she was lying, why did you come here yelling at me?" I asked because I didn't know what else to say.

"Because I was angry. I was angry with my parents because they lied to me, then with myself because I didn't believe them, then with you because I thought you had attacked Mary Margaret and then again with myself because I had believed you. By the time I came here the anger was boiling in me."

"But now you believe me?" I didn't even try to hide the hope in my voice.

"Yes. For some strange and unknown reason I do. My gift tells me that you're not lying about attacking my mother but believing that she has something to do with Archie's death…" She trailed off.

"I know how it sounds but if you had seen her, you would think like me," I insisted, risking to lose the sheriff's support.

"This is insane, Regina," she finally said what I was expecting to hear in the very beginning.

"I know what I saw," her words angered me nonetheless. "She wasn't herself. There was something… dark in her."

"Why would she do that? Give me a reason, Regina!"

"Her daughter's inappropriate feelings seem like enough reason to me," I snapped before I could stop myself.

"What?" Emma was dumbfounded.

I sighed. I should've kept my mouth shut but that's not something you can expect from a queen. At least not from me for that matter.

"Your mother thinks you are in love with me."

I have never seen the Savior that shocked. I thought she would need some time to recover but she almost immediately blurted out, "Is it that obvious?"

"What?" I hadn't expected such a blunt confession.

"What what?" Emma asked, trying to get out of the situation.

"You just admitted that you're in love with me, Miss Swan."

"Great! Now we're back to 'Miss Swan'," the blonde rolled her eyes. "Look, I know you're angry…"

"I'm not angry, Emma," I cut her off. "Actually, I am flattered."

"But? There is a 'but' here, isn't there?"

"Yes, there is," I nodded. "And it's not what you think. Ever since you're in Storybrooke we've been fighting for Henry and I've seen you only as an enemy. A threat to my family." I tried to explain, hoping that I wouldn't make it worse.

"Even now?" I had the feeling that she would start making puppy dog eyes every second now.

"To some extent, yes, even now," I said and immediately regretted it as I saw how hurt she looked.

"Why?" The pain in her voice made something in me break. I did it again. I hurt her again. After all, that was what I was good at – hurting people.

"Because you're too damn perfect," I was getting frustrated.

"I am far from perfect," Emma whispered when she finally recovered from the shock my words had thrown her in.

"Well, maybe. But you are a lot closer to it than me. The town loves you and so does Henry. Me, on the other hand… not so much."

"He loves you, Regina."

"But he ran away in search for you. I wasn't good enough for him." A tear fell down my cheek.

Emma didn't say anything this time. She just stretched out her arm and wiped the tear tenderly. I backed away, surprised from the contact.

"Sorry," the Savior said sheepishly and withdrew.

"No problem," I replied and gave her a small reassuring smile. I made her feel like an idiot more than enough times for today. We just stood in awkward silence for a few moments. "How did you even fall in love with me?" I asked suddenly.

"It wasn't that hard. Have you looked at yourself? You're gorgeous." I couldn't help but smile at the compliment.

"I went all Evil Queen on you. People usually find that frightening, not gorgeous," I said seriously.

"Yes, I've seen your dark side many times but I have also seen how much you can love someone. Everything you did, Regina, you did it for Henry."

"We both know that's not true. I did a lot of the things only to prevent the curse from breaking." I smiled bitterly. It was strange to admit that. Especially to the Savior.

"You were afraid that you would lose Henry, if the curse broke."

"Emma, I didn't think you were so naïve. I am the Evil Queen for heaven's sake!" I snapped.

"Don't ever say this again," she commanded, locking her eyes with mine.

"It's the truth. I've done terrible things."

"I know I can't justify everything you've done but I will keep pointing out the good things."

"Why do you do that? Why do you believe in me?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know, Regina. All I know is that I love you and nothing can change that." Emma was absolutely serious and it scared me to death. Images of Daniel dying in my embrace appeared in my mind. Tears started streaming down my face. "Regina, I'm sorry. I… what did I say now?" She panicked.

"You said that you love me unconditionally."

"Okay, now I'm lost. Why is that so bad?" She was perplexed.

"Everyone who loved me died because of me." I felt so helpless. "I am like a curse for the people who love me," I cried. "Henry can't lose you. I… I can't lose you."

"You won't lose me," Emma took my hand in hers through the bars. "I am not going anywhere."

"You can't know that," I objected. She sighed.

"What am I going to do with you?" Emma asked as she let go of my hand and headed to her desk. She took the key for my cell.

"What are you doing?" I inquired when she unlocked the door.

"We are going to pay my mother a visit. I want to talk to her," she said and headed to the exit of the station. I just stood at my cell and stared at her. "Are you coming?" she asked when she understood I wasn't following her.

"I know what you're doing," I spoke and she frowned. "You are trying to distract me from my pessimistic thoughts."

"There are much better ways to distract you and none of them involves talking." Her eyes darkened significantly as she approached me.

"Are you flirting with me, Miss Swan?" I got out of my cell and stopped mere inches away from her.

"I guess I am doing it wrong if you don't know the answer," Emma pouted.

I rolled my eyes. "Can't you play your games after we find out who framed me?"

"Gosh, Regina, you're such a killjoy!" she complained.

"Well, excuse me if I am worried that whoever framed me is still out there probably planning something even worse."

"Okay." Emma raised her hands in defense. "Let's go to my mother's apartment then."

I nodded and purple smoke engulfed us.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma's PoV

I have never teleported before and it felt strange. The feeling was overwhelming and I was a little disoriented when we appeared in the loft.

"Emma?" I heard Mary Margaret's voice. "Regina?" her surprise turned into nervousness.

"Emma, what the hell is she doing here?" David asked. "She tried to kill your mother. Today."

"No, she didn't. Mary Margaret lied."

"What?" David was confused by the new information or perhaps by the fact that I was on Regina's side. "Did she tell you?" he asked looking murderously at her.

"Yes," I answered honestly.

"And you believe her?" he yelled at me before I had the chance to say something else. "What's wrong with you, Emma? Why do you believe her?"

I just stood there in silence. As I didn't say anything he turned his gaze towards Regina. "What have you done to her, witch?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Nothing," Regina answered calmly. "The genes of stupidity just missed her. That's all."

"You did something to her," David roared and stepped closer to her. The look in his eyes was extremely menacing. "I really should've killed you when I had the chance."

"Then what's stopping you?" Regina's glare wasn't any different.

I had the feeling that they had already had this conversation and it was a wonder that both of them were still alive. I stood between them to make sure they would remain that way. "Regina didn't do anything to me," I said.

"Then why do you believe her?" David almost shouted.

"Because I know she's telling the truth. My gift may not be perfect but I know she's not lying about this."

"It's more serious than I thought," Mary Margaret, who had stayed silent during the whole argument, spoke. We all stared at her as if she had said it in Chinese.

"What are you talking about?" David looked even more confused now.

"I wasn't sure. It seemed insane at the time. I mean… they really hated each other. But now…"

"What?"

"Now I am convinced. Emma is in love with Regina."

My father's gaze was moving back and forth between his wife and me and Regina. I could tell by his expression that he was close to losing his mind. "Emma," he spoke and his even tone scared me, "is that true?"

I couldn't say anything. I just stared at him like an idiot.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled and grabbed my arm. "Are you insane? She is our mortal enemy."

"It… just… happened. I couldn't do anything about it," I tried to defend myself.

"You had to stop these feelings." He was enraged.

"What was I supposed to do? Rip my heart out?" The initial shock subsided and I remembered that I was not a convict. I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Well, maybe." I really didn't expect that answer. I looked at him with disbelief.

"You are the insane one," I said and tried to free myself but with no success.

"You can't be with her. You can't have feelings for her."

"You can't say this to me," I objected. "You were ready to sacrifice a whole kingdom in order to be with your love."

"It was different."

"How?" I made new effort to get free.

"I hadn't murdered anyone," Mary Margaret intervened. "I wasn't a monster."

I knew how these words reflected on Regina. I had spent enough time being mentally harassed to know all too well how much it hurt. It was awful. It was something no one should experience. And when I knew the woman I loved was going through it, it fueled my anger as nothing else could.

"If you had kept your mouth shut, none of this would have happened," I snarled at my mother.

She opened her mouth to say something but David was faster. "How are you talking to your mother?" I cried out when his grip became impossibly tight.

"Let her go!" Regina's voice was cold as ice.

We all turned to her. Flames were dancing angrily in her palm. I felt David's grip on me loosening and I used the chance to free myself. The second I got away from him Regina threw the fireball in his direction. Mary Margaret managed to pull him out of the way and it missed him but something fell out of her pocket. It was a card. Queen of hearts.

Regina's eyes widened when she saw it. "I should've known," she whispered.

"Regina what's going on?" I asked but no answer came. She was staring at the card as if it were her biggest nightmare. "Regina?" I shook her lightly, trying to get a reaction from her.

"Emma, it's her."

"Who?" I couldn't figure out why she looked so frightened but then Cora appeared in a puff of smoke and I understood everything. My mother was working with Cora. She had the card so that she could summon the Queen of Hearts whenever she wanted.

"Hello, Regina," Cora greeted casually as if her presence were something absolutely normal.

"Mother." It amazed me how Regina could say so many things with one word. That single word expressed all of her feelings towards Cora – anger, pain, disappointment, fear and, surprisingly, even love.

"I imagined something else when you said you had everything under control, Snow," Cora turned to Mary Margaret.

I felt betrayed. After making so many efforts to prevent the sorceress from coming to Storybrooke, my mother had worked with her.

"How could you team up with her?" I asked with accusation in my voice. "She tried to kill us. More than once."

"Now you understand how I felt when you chose Regina over me," Mary Margaret's voice was full of pain.

"It's not the same. Regina is trying to change. She saved us. Besides, Cora is much worse. You said it yourself."

"Don't blame your mother," Cora intervened. "She just wanted the same as me – her daughter back."

"And you decided to frame your daughter. That's exactly what a good mother would do," I said sarcastically and earned an angry look.

"I thought we stopped you," Regina said suddenly. "How did you get through?"

"Determination. I had to see you. I love you. I just… I've always showed it in all the wrong ways. And I never should've made you marry the king." Tears were glimmering in both Regina and Cora's eyes. They had completely forgotten about David, Mary Margaret and me. "I'm so sorry." Cora was lying. She wasn't sorry. I was just about to tell Regina when she spoke.

"No, you're not." The first tear fell down her cheek. "You framed me. If you were truly sorry, you wouldn't have done that."

"I didn't want you to reject me. Not again."

"You wanted me broken." Regina's voice almost betrayed her.

"I just wanted to start over with you," Cora caught her daughter's hands.

"I don't see that happening, mother," she pulled away.

Cora's expression changed. "I tried being nice, Regina, but you leave me no choice."

Regina wanted to say something but suddenly they both dissolved in purple smoke.

"Regina," I called out even though I knew it was no use. I turned to Mary Margaret. "If something happens to her…" I didn't finish. "I hope you're happy now."

I ran out of the apartment. My parents didn't follow me but it was better that way. I had other things to worry about. I needed to find Regina. I tried to inhibit the panic that overwhelmed me and think rationally. Gold! He could help me. He knew Cora better than anyone else. I headed to his shop. Luckily, he was there.

"I need your help," I said when I stormed in.

"Always so polite, Miss Swan," he said sarcastically.

"There's no time for being polite. Cora is here. She took Regina and they disappeared. I need to find them."

He stared at me for a few moments. "Do you know what happened to Regina's first love?" he asked finally.

That wasn't what I was expecting to hear. "What?"

"Do you know what happened to Regina's first love?" he spoke slowly as if I were retarded.

"I heard you the first time. Why are you asking?"

"Just answer me."

"Yes," I yelled in irritation. We were wasting time. "Cora ripped his heart out and crushed it."

"Good. Then you know what she'll do to you if you don't leave her daughter alone," he said calmly.

"Why do you care? I already did what you needed me to do. I broke the curse. Why are you suddenly so concerned for me?"

"You still owe me a favor, dearie." His smug smile made me want to punch him in the face.

"Will you help me or not?" I asked seriously.

"Knowing Cora, she probably went to Regina's vault. If I were you…"

I didn't hear the rest because I exited the shop. I needed to get to that vault as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

Cora's PoV

I teleported us in Regina's vault.

"Mother, what are you doing?"

"Regina, you need to hear me out."

"I don't want to," my daughter snarled at me and tried to teleport. "What have you done?" she asked when she couldn't.

"You didn't really think I would let you go so easily, did you?"

"So I'm a prisoner? Again?" Regina tried her best to make the words sound snarky but I knew she was hurt.

"I am doing this for your own good," I tried to explain. "I…"

"Spare me, please!" she interrupted me. "I've heard all of your lies. Just tell me how long you plan to keep me here."

"We don't have to stay here," I ignored her hurtful words and smiled faintly. "We can go wherever you want. Together."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you."

"I don't understand where all of this resentment towards me is coming from." I sighed heartbreakingly.

"No, you don't get to tell me that," she hissed. "You don't get to pretend that you are the victim after everything you did to me. How did you even win Mary Margaret on your side?"

"I told her that she would get her daughter back if she helped me," I answered honestly.

"It wasn't as if I had taken Emma all to myself," Regina objected.

"I know but Snow saw you as a threat. Fear is a powerful tool. You know that. And she was scared that she would lose her daughter again."

"And you just so happened to be willing to help her." Anger flashed in her eyes. "You thought that they would blame me for Archie's death and that would solve everything."

"And I was right. They blamed you instantly."

"Of course they blamed me. They saw me doing it." Regina yelled. "Everybody would believe that I was guilty."

"You know that they have always searched for a way to get rid of you. I made you a favor. I love you, Regina." I took a step towards her and reached for her hand.

"No," Regina moved backwards, as far away from me as possible. "This isn't love. Emma loves me. You are just using me."

"We'll see about that," I said, infuriated by her words, and dissolved in purple smoke.

* * *

"Hello, Rumple," I said when I teleported in his shop. He almost jumped when he heard my voice."

"Well, I expected this was just a matter of time." He quickly regained his composure. "I hoped you were dead but hey, disappointment is just part of life. I'm sure we can agree on that."

"The crocodile snaps at the little girl. You didn't use to be like that. You were… charming when you wanted," I said although I knew flattery didn't work on him.

"Why are you here?" he asked coldly and impatiently.

"And you certainly were more patient. After all, you waited your whole life to reunite with your son and you still haven't found him. And yet you haven't given up." I rubbed salt in the wound.

"What do you want?" he snarled at me.

For a moment I considered saying something else about his son but decided against it. I wouldn't get what I needed if I pushed him too far.

"I want my daughter back."

"Well, dearie, I see why you need help. After everything you did to her…"

"I did what was in her best interest," I cut him off.

"You mean in your best interest."

"You used her as a means to an end." He wanted to say something else but I didn't give him the chance. "We can point the finger at each other all day or we can discuss our problem."

"It is yours, dearie, not mine. Though you are right about the part with the problem. Especially now when Miss Swan is part of the picture," he smiled at me.

"On the contrary, dear," I returned the smile. "She will help me get Regina back."

"That's not going to happen."

"Oh, it is. And you will help me with it."

"Really? And why would I do that?"

"Because I can give you what you want most." I smiled when I saw that I had piqued his interest. "Your son."

"How?" Rumple asked immediately, not bothering to hide his excitement and hope.

I waved my hand and a box appeared on the counter in front of him. He eyed it and then opened it slowly not sure if it was safe to do so. His eyes widened when he saw the white globe.

"You know what that is of course," I said.

"It will find him. If this one truly is it."

"Oh, darling, I have no reason to cheat you."

"With you one can never know." He examined my gift suspiciously. "What do you want for it?" He asked finally.

"I need a sleeping curse."

Rumple studied my expression for a moment. "You want to put Miss Swan under it. If she doesn't wake up when Regina kisses her, she will know it isn't true love." He immediately figured out my plan. I liked that in him but it also annoyed me to no end.

I smiled a little bitterly. "She won't wake up. I know you have the ingredients I need."

"They are in the back room." I headed towards said room. "Just know," I stopped when he spoke, "that you will fail."

I turned to face him. "Because I am underestimating Emma?"

"No. Because you are underestimating Regina." I narrowed my eyes at him. "I once told her that she is not like you," he continued. "She isn't. You can't even imagine how strong her love can be."

I turned my back to him and walked in the back room.

* * *

The sleeping curse was ready in no time. I thought of saying goodbye to Rumple but I didn't want to listen to another lecture on how I would fail. Besides, the last time I said goodbye to him didn't go exactly well so I just teleported back in my daughter's vault. I wanted to check up on her. She did use to run away before. She could certainly escape from me now.

She didn't see me because I happened to appear behind her. She was talking. At first I decided that she was talking to herself but then I realized she was using one of those things Snow told me about – a phone.

"No, Emma, you can't do anything. My mother is too powerful and you just learned that you have magic. There's no way in the world you to defeat her." I couldn't hear what the blonde said but whatever it was my daughter didn't like it. "What? No. Get away from there immediately. If my mother understands that you're outside…" she trailed off as she almost dropped her phone.

She had seen me in one of the countless mirrors she had decorated the place with. It didn't really matter. I had the information I needed.

"Mother," Regina spoke but I teleported in the graveyard outside.

Emma was pacing nervously in front of the vault. Her phone was still in her hand.

"Emma," Regina's voice came from it. "My mother!"

The blonde understood and turned on her heels to leave but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me.

"Going somewhere?" I asked mockingly. "You think you are brave but in fact you are foolish. Even Regina doesn't believe that you can defeat me."

"Because she is afraid of you," Emma quickly regained her ability to speak. "You've ruined her life for so long that she doesn't believe things can change."

"You have no idea what happened."

"You killed her true love," she shouted at me.

"He was a stable boy and she had so much potential. She could become a great ruler," I yelled back at her.

"She suffered greatly because of you," the Savior wasn't going to give up.

"I raised her perfectly. She became a queen."

"She was forced to become a queen. All you managed to do was turn her into a broken woman."

"That's enough!" The blonde's words infuriated me. "I will not take advice about parenting from a woman who abandoned her child." I teleported right in front of her. She gasped, intimidated by the proximity. "You messed my daughter's life enough. I will make sure you won't do it again." The spindle with the sleeping curse appeared in my hand. Her eyes widened when she realized what I intended to do.

"Mother, stop!" Regina's voice surprised us both. Somehow she had managed to get out of the vault but that was of no importance. I proceeded with my plan.

I caught the blonde's hand. She was too shocked to react. Regina reached us and grabbed Emma's hand in order to pull her away from me. The tip of the spindle landed on my daughter's finger but slid down it and scratched the blonde's too.

A moment of utter shock and silence passed. We just looked at each other, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Then they both fell. I caught Regina while Emma hit the ground with a thud. They were both asleep. The curse had worked.

"Oh, you, foolish girl," I whispered as I stroked my daughter's hair. "What did you do?"

"Emma!" Suddenly I heard Snow's voice. "Emma!" She ran to her daughter and shook her. "What happened?" She asked when there was no reaction from the blonde.

"They fell under a sleeping curse," I asked without even bothering to look at her.

"What are we going to do?" David, who had followed Snow, voiced the question that we were all asking ourselves but didn't dare speak aloud.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina's PoV

I opened my eyes and couldn't see anything. Darkness was surrounding me. I suddenly realized I was shaking. I tried to stop it but I couldn't. The fear was too strong. It was suffocating me. I was in one of my worst nightmares. I had always been afraid that I would end up alone, trapped somewhere where no one would be able to find me. But then I remembered there was someone who would never stop searching for me. The thought of Emma immediately made me feel better.

"Regina." I could swear that I heard Emma calling my name but that was impossible. I was alone in the middle of nowhere.

"Emma?" I called even though my brain was trying to convince me that it had been my own imagination.

"Regina."

This time I was sure it was her. I walked in the direction of her voice and almost bumped into a wall. Great! Knowing my luck, Emma was on the other side of it. So close and so far at the same time.

"Emma." I cried out when the despair overwhelmed me.

"Wait a second. I'll be right there."

"How? This is…" the words died in my throat when I heard a bang and then a loud cracking noise. I moved back when I realized the wall was breaking. It fell apart and I was blinded by bright light. When my eyes adjusted to it I saw Emma standing in front of me. The light was coming from the torch she was carrying.

"How did you do that?" I asked, staring at the empty space where the wall had been just a few moments ago.

"It wasn't that hard." She shrugged. "My desire to see you was really strong." She gave me a wide smile but when I didn't return it she frowned. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy that we are together now?"

"Of course I am but it doesn't change the fact that we are trapped here." My voice started shaking slightly when the panic came back. I slumped on the floor and buried my face in my hands.

"Hey, calm down," Emma sat down next to me and put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

"No, it's not." I snapped at her and shrugged her hand away. "I warned you that you're not safe around me. You should've stayed away from me."

"You tried to save me."

"And I failed miserably. I am the reason why we're both stuck here," I pointed out.

"You risked falling under a sleeping curse to save me. I appreciate it." She offered me a shy smile. "Why did you do that?" She asked all of a sudden.

"Because I didn't want to lose you. I was afraid that if you had fallen under a sleeping curse, I wouldn't be able to wake you up," I said, staring in her beautiful green eyes.

"You wouldn't have lost me. You would have woken me with true love's kiss."

"You sound quite convinced for a woman who doesn't believe in anything unless she has proof."

"But I do have proof." Emma leaned in and kissed me. Her lips were so soft against mine. All my worries instantly melted away.

Suddenly Emma disappeared. Before I could panic I heard distant voices.

"You are guilty! You caused all of this!" I heard Mary Margaret yell.

"You were fine with it as long as my daughter was the one to suffer," mother yelled back.

I realized that the curse must have been broken. That was why I was in my mother's arms and I could hear our parents shouting at each other.

"Seriously, guys?" I heard Emma's voice.

"Emma," I whispered. When I opened my eyes they met with my mother's. She looked bewildered.

"They woke up," Mary Margaret sounded extremely surprised.

"What happened?" David asked.

"So it is true then," mother's voice startled us all. "It is true love." She was the first one to realize it. I looked at Emma.

"I guess it is," the blonde said as she locked her eyes with mine.

"I guess so," I replied.

"David." Mary Margaret exhaled sharply as she leaned on her husband for support.

I grinned like an idiot at that. I got to torture her as a bonus to being Emma's true love. My grin disappeared as I remembered who exactly was holding me and that she hadn't reacted yet. Everything could go to hell with one single movement from her so it was a little early for celebrations. I slowly lifted my gaze to my mother's eyes. She was looking at me and I could tell that she was really seeing me. Probably for the first time in my life.

"Rumple was right," she spoke finally. I gave her a questioning look. "He told me that I was underestimating you and your ability to love. He also told me that you're not like me." I remembered when he had told me that he could see the similarity and how much that had scared me. "You are not like me, Regina," mother said as if she had read my mind. "You went through so much but you can still find enough strength to love."

"I thought that love was weakness." I couldn't help saying it.

Mother sighed. "I was wrong." I couldn't believe my ears. Cora Mills admitted that she had been wrong. "I hope that you will be able to let me in your heart again," she continued.

"You have never left it," I replied and hugged her. "But you need to promise me that you won't pull such stunts again."

"Of course not. I learned my lesson the hard way."

"You can release me some time soon," I said finally.

"Sorry," she let go of me.

Emma cleared her throat and I remembered that she and her parents were still there.

"You know, dating me has more advantages than you can imagine." She offered me her hand.

"Like what?" I asked as if I couldn't think of anything when I stood up with help from her and my mother.

"You won't have to worry that I will take Henry away from you if we get married."

This time Mary Margaret did pass out.

"Emma, let's take things slowly, okay? For everyone's sake," I said as I looked at her unconscious mother.

"I thought you didn't like my parents."

"I don't. But they're family. They are Henry's grandparents. He already lost the chance to know one of his grandfathers," I whispered the last sentence. I could feel three pairs of eyes on me. "Let's not make it worse."

"How are we going to tell Henry about us?" Emma asked.

"I don't know," I sighed. "He will be shocked."

The blonde nodded in agreement. "I just hope he will take it better than mom."

"I'm fine," Mary Margaret who had finally regained consciousness said.

Emma smiled. "We will find a way to tell him." She caught my hand and entwined our fingers.

Then she suddenly kissed me. A worried 'Mary Margaret' that came from David made us part. Emma's mother had fainted again.

 **The end.**

 **A/N: There will be a sequel. It will be a bit Cora-centric but there will be plenty of Swan Queen too.**


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